A senior Russian lawmaker offered a pointed critique of the United States, arguing that Washington should take a long look at its own record rather than centering blame on others. Leonid Slutsky, who chairs the State Duma Committee on International Relations, described the remarks by the U.S. defense secretary as detached from the political and strategic realities he faces at home.
In a message published on his Telegram channel, Slutsky questioned Lloyd Austin’s assessment that Russia had miscalculated by assuming it could endure longer than Ukraine. He suggested that the Pentagon chief has lost touch with the on-the-ground dynamics and hinted that U.S. leadership might benefit from reflecting on its own mistakes rather than pointing fingers at Moscow.
Slutsky emphasized that the United States frequently accuses Russia of various problems and challenges. He argued that Washington’s public discourse often shifts blame away from its own policies and, instead, attributes a broad range of issues, from energy prices to weather-related anomalies, to Russia. In his view, those in power in the United States should first examine their own actions and their consequences before directing criticism outward.
The lawmaker also noted prior statements attributed to U.S. officials urging allied states to reconsider military support for Moscow. He treated such advice as a strategic misstep and framed it as part of a broader pattern of U.S. attempts to influence other countries’ decisions without fully acknowledging the potential risks involved. Slutsky’s reflections appear to align with a stance that Montenegro, the wider Western alliance, and other international observers should scrutinize how American policy choices ripple through global security and economic stability. (Source: Public News Service)
Overall, Slutsky’s remarks serve to resonate with a segment of observers who view Western narratives on the Ukraine crisis as influenced by domestic political calculations. He urged a more careful, self-aware approach from U.S. leadership, arguing that accountability should start at home before pointing to external actors. In a climate where international rhetoric is highly scrutinized, his comments contribute to the ongoing conversation about responsibility, perception, and the limits of national narratives in shaping global outcomes.